Posts filed under ‘Media’

STAY TUNED… The mission and programs of Bright Blessings continues to spread to both local and national audiences!

NBC’s TODAY SHOW regular Sara Haines and producer Dana Roecker recently flew in from NYC to visit Bright Blessings and Charlotte Emergency Housing as they filmed and interviewed for a segment that will air on the TODAY SHOW at a date still to be announced. Stay tuned for more information!

Mark your calendars or set your DVRs to record the Charlotte Today show, April 19, on local NBC affiliate WCNC-NewsChannel 36. In February, reporter Davina Sutton spent time at the home of Bright Blessings founders Amy and John Cervantes and then filmed one of our Bless-A-Birthday parties in action at the YWCA. Be sure to catch the show on April 19!

Local production company, Full Scale Productions, has recently been on site at Bright Blessings and at partner agency Florence Crittenton Services to capture the heart and impact of our Bless-A-Baby program. This special video segment is for baby-care industry giant, Johnson & Johnson, and will air on the company’s Online Health Channel at a date to be announced. More details soon!

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CHARLOTTE, NC Sara Haines with the Today Show made a visit to Bright Blessings!! She spent the afternoon with us at our new office as we prepared for a party and then headed over to a local shelter for a birthday party. We had a fabulous dinner provided by the Ladies of Jack & Jill of America – Charlotte Chapter. Then it was party time with our friends from FunkyTown Parties . Sara and all our volunteers had a blast with the birthday kids and families dancing the night away. Stay tuned for more details to watch our segment on the Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee.

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January 24, 2011 – Tune in to AllRecipes.TV this Thursday morning, January 27, and view the “What’s Cooking” webisode featuring Bright Blessings!

The segment will tell the Bright Blessings story with scenes of volunteers at our facility preparing gifts and supplies, cake baking and decorating by loyal pastry partner Suzi Allora of Suzi Skinny Cakes, and see the smiling faces of children at Charlotte Emergency Housing during a Bright Blessings birthday celebration.

Michael Ketchum, host of the “What’s Cooking” show, and his team were here in Charlotte last November to see first hand what Bright Blessings is all about and to film the scenes for this special webisode. We are honored and excited to be featured on the AllRecipes.com tv channel. Our thanks to Michael and everyone at AllRecipes for helping share the mission and programs of Bright Blessings with their viewers.

Be sure to tune in this Thursday morning, January 27, for the “What’s Cooking” show!

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(Charlotte, N.C., January 10, 2010) –Birthday Blessings, a volunteer-led nonprofit serving homeless children and families across the greater Charlotte region, is proud to kick off the new year with two major announcements. In addition to a name change, plans are under way for the organization’s new headquarters located in Matthews, North Carolina.

A new year, a new name: Effective January 10, 2011, Birthday Blessings will become Bright Blessings USA (“Birthdays and Beyond forHomelessChildren”),a strategic decision by the organization and its Board of Directors with twofold purpose: To better convey the breadth of the nonprofit’s programs and services which have evolved significantly since its founding; and to provide a unique and trademarked brand for the planned official launch of the organization’s National Affiliate Network.

“It’s amazing to see how the Charlotte community has wrapped itself around this organization, helping it grow to where it is today,” says Amy Cervantes, volunteer executive director and co-founder. “John and I are constantly humbled by how much Bright Blessings has expanded and how many lives are being impacted as a result. Our community is truly remarkable.”

Service to the community, by the community: After operating at its current location for two years, thanks to the generosity of partial donated space by local nonprofit LifeSpan Services, Bright Blessings is preparing to move its headquarters to Matthews. This spring the organization will open the doors to its new facility, The Giving Village, a concept inspired by the nonprofit’s founding goal of providing relevant, hands-on volunteer opportunities for children—and people of all ages—in a safe, comfortable and uplifting environment. The nearly 4,000 square foot facility located at 608-A Matthews-Mint Hill Road will be home to the Bright Blessings programs and its supporting projects, and will host hundreds of volunteers and visitors monthly. Each aspect of the organization and its program services will be brought to life in the form of a small town operated by its “villagers”—a community of volunteers. Facility details and layout are available online at www.BrightBlessingsUSA.org

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Bright Blessings began in 2005 as a family service project created by Mint Hill couple Amy and John Cervantes as way to help children in need while fostering a love for volunteerism in their own young children. In 2008, they incorporated their service venture as a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, quickly expanding the organization’s programs and services. Today, the programs of Bright Blessings reach more than 2,000 homeless children and families every year, thanks to success of its volunteer-led infrastructure and the many dedicated supporters and participants whose daily efforts help brighten the lives of children in need.

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CONCORD, NC – Morning radio host Erica Parkerson knocked our socks off when she told us New Life 91.9 wanted to honor Birthday Blessings at its annual Faith, Family, and Freedom Celebration.

8,500 people came out on June 26 for a night of family fun, fireworks, and music by Steven Curtis Chapman, Superchick and Newworldson. By the end of the evening, our donation barrels were overflowing from all the toys and baby care items attendees generously hauled into Charlotte Motor Speedway’s zMAX Dragway.

One man donating two bags of toys, in particular, stood out to our volunteer executive director, Amy Cervantes. “He told me that at one point in his life, he was homeless, and that he knew personally just how meaningful our programs are to children experiencing homelessness. That was the ‘wow’ moment of the night for me personally. I thought I was going to start crying right on the spot. It was very touching.”

By the end of the night, our 14 volunteers spoke to hundreds of festival-goers and had collected close to 400 items valued at almost $1,800!

We owe a huge thank you to everyone who supported Birthday Blessings at this New Life event. It certainly takes a village to celebrate the lives of homeless children in the greater Charlotte area!

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CHARLOTTE, NC – We are thrilled to announce that Charlotte’s #1 family-friendly radio station, New Life 91.9, is honoring Birthday Blessings at their Faith, Family and Freedom Celebration on Saturday, June 26th. The tailgate party begins at 4 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m., and the celebration starts at 6 p.m. at the zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Steven Curtis Chapman, Superchick and Newworldson will be performing, and the guest speaker will be Derwin Gray. This will be a time of great music, great family fun and great fireworks!

New Life is asking the public to bring new, unwrapped toys if you would like to support our Party Programs. If you would like to support our Blessing Baskets Program, please bring new towels, washcloths and baby-care essentials (shampoo, baby wash, lotion, powder, diaper ointment, etc.)

To order tickets and see event details, click here. We hope to see you there!

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Watch here, as Larry Sprinkle interviews our co-founder John Cervantes about our programs and about how Birthday Blessings was born. This segment aired on News Channel 36 on May 13, 2010.

We owe a big thank you to Guys With Ties, also mentioned in this segment, who hosted a May 17 fundraiser at Chima Brazillian Steakhouse in the name of the homeless children we serve. Thanks to everyone who came out to support Birthday Blessings as they enjoyed a fun night out for a cause!